| COOL FRIENDS |
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| Chris Simion, director, writer
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This month we decided to invite someone from a different environment. At first glance theater and business don’t seem to have anything in common. But if we take a better look we can find rules, procedures, trends and a certain way of doing things in theater as well.
We can also find people that make radical transformations, that challenge the status-quo out of a desire to offer spectators what they need, even when they don’t realize it. Chris Simion, our guest this month, is such a person. She is known as on of the best and most original artists in Romania.
Your artistic creations have enjoyed a tremendous amount of success on the part of the Romanian public. What is the source of your inspiration?
I read a lot. It’s an addiction I picked up
in high school, but only a few of the books
that are close to my heart become vital for
me. These are the ones which I select and
those that I deem necessary, I dramatize.
They I bring them to life in my shows. Most
of the time the source is in fiction, novels.
I don’t work with stories I don’t believe
in. I choose texts that require an effort,
that consume me, that transmit a message of
interest for today’s public. I also try to
convey a social message, raise awareness,
and go past the cultural limits in which most
theater shows are taking place today.
What are the characteristics of the
public that comes to your shows?
I don’t have a target audience. I see teenagers in tattered jeans, people of average age in suits and evening gowns and even older people that most definitely aren’t constant consumers of independent theater and alternative spaces. Spectators usually bring one another by word of mouth. This is my greatest joy. To see people talking about the play they saw and encouraging others to see it. This is the only certainty I have, that what I do is not in vain.
What were the reasons for which you
set up the "D’Aya" theater company?
Independent theater is a breath of fresh air. It’s the only form through which an artist can express himself freely. He isn’t constrained by the rigors of an institution or limitations of a repertoire. You stage what you want, when you want with whoever you want. You take full responsibility for its success or failure. Your only real critic becomes the paying audience.
There is no state subvention for independent theater. If the show is bad and there is no audience, you won’t survive. You need a lot of courage, insanity and confidence to do this. But it’s worth it. The fulfillment you get in independent theater can’t be found anywhere else in the system. I work for both independent and official theater. I know the difference.
The independent open space theater
festival, Undercloud was very well received
by the public. Were you expecting such a positive
reaction?
The Undercloud festival was created as a necessary adventure for those who want to go to a theater in the summer, when there is a holiday, as well as those that perform in alternate locations and as a result had the chance to meet on the same stage.
I had a fair media review from those at Cotidianul, Radio Guerrilla and B 24 FUN. People found out about it and they came. Every night we had about 80% of the seats occupied. At two shows people had to be left out. This encouraged us to continue the Undercloud Festival next year as well.
In many cases the media presents you
as "the girl who brings the teenagers
to theater". What do you think about
this nickname? What do you think brings teenagers
to the theaters?
The themes proposed the live and dynamic play that I demand from actors, the pleasure with which they act… I suppose, I don’t know. A lot of teenagers do come, that is true. This gives me great joy! Undercloud is a theater for the open minded audience, without prejudice, an unconventional theater.
Writer, director and screenwriter. What is the next step?
A book, my eighth…
New shows: one at the National Theater in
Iasi in October entitled BAD BED STORIES or
"Good night stories for grownups",
one at Laptaria lui Enache FORGIVE ME, HELP
ME! (Sequel to Love only lasts for 3 years),
"OSCAR AND MADAM PINK", "THE
JOURNEY" after Jonathan Livingstone’s
"Seagull". Starting October first
we’ll perform shows inside Laptaria lui Enache. So...stay tuned!
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